Anxiety, The Silent Epidemic

Pupils dilated, heart pounding, feeling slightly dizzy, and everything around you seems to be a sensory overload… As you sit there concentrating on your breathing and try to collect yourself so you can finish off your meeting, feeding your child, your assignment or your public engagement; you hope no one has noticed. These are all signs of an anxiety attack, yet many don’t seem to acknowledge anxiety. We have opened up the discourse on depression, and often depression and anxiety can coincide, but not always.
I have encountered many different people, men, women, teenagers and seniors who have all shared their stories with me of when they had their first ‘anxiety attack.
Anxiety attacks may not be severe, they can have subtle symptoms such as: sleepless nights, constant worrying, poor concentration, fatigue, feeling out of breath, zoning out or a slight increase in your heart rate.

Do you find yourself constantly worrying about:

• Your relationships?
• Your finances?
• Your health? The health of family members?
• Do you find yourself avoiding social situations?
• Do you constantly feel as though something doesn’t ‘feel’ right? Or something bad is going to happen?

If you do, you are not alone. I question whether in today’s time we are all trying to do too much? We live in a time where we are surrounded by perfection, or so we think.
Children as young as ten years old are committing suicide, due to a variety of reasons such as bullying to body image issues. We are living in a world where we are constantly trying to reach for the unobtainable. We spend more time on instagram, facebook, twitter, snapchat or playing games on our phones than with the people around us. Parents are now texting their children to come down for dinner, when living within the same home. Friends gather together around a table on a night out, yet everyone there is on their phone.

Relationships have changed, because we as a society of changed.

The unfortunate part is we as a community, set mental health aside. For reasons, such as ‘what will others think?’ We spend more time thinking about what others think, than focusing on ourselves. Just because we cannot physically see the damage, does not mean it is not there. The effects of anxiety on the body can be enormous and should not be ignored.
I have also spoken too many people who state that when they did finally build up the courage to talk about their anxiety or depression, that they found no one would listen. More often, their loved ones would brush it aside with comments such as “Oh you are fine” or “There is nothing wrong with you.” Sadly, some doctors may not see it as well, and tell their patients that “Physically, there is nothing wrong with you. It’s all in your head.” This can be humiliating and debilitating to those suffering from anxiety especially since they already do not have the support of their family and friends.
The more we discuss mental health, the more the stigma attached to it will be reduced. Unfortunately, mental health disorders, such as anxiety, are more common than we think. Anxiety has become a silent epidemic for those suffering from it and it is time we start openly communicating about it.
Most of the people I have spoken to about their anxiety have stated that they either live with it, or have learned to cope through drugs, alcohol, meditation, exercise or just persevering through the attacks. I think those who are able to manage their anxiety through healthy measures such as exercise is great, however we need to recognize when we may need help. We need to recognize that there is nothing wrong with reaching out and we are also responsible as a society to help those reaching out.
We place too much stress on ourselves and our surroundings. We spend more time competing with each other, than embracing each other, faults and all. We all just need to take a step back and just breathe.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), approximately 20% of all Canadians will experience mental health issues in their lifetime. More specifically CMHA states, approximately 49% of people who feel that they have or are suffering from depression or anxiety have not gone to see a doctor.
If you think you might be suffering from anxiety, you need to find someone to talk to. If your doctor isn’t taking you seriously, then find one that will. If your family or friends are not taking you seriously, sit them down and open up to them, and if they still don’t then find someone who will. For mental health services in your community, you can contact your local CMHA branch http://www.cmha.ca/mental-health/find-help/

Sunny Mangat, M.A. (International Politics & Human Rights), B.A. (Psychology) , a Vancouver Islander who was raised in Surrey,is a full-time PhD student at Roehampton University in London, U.K., researching sexual violence in India.

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